Laptops :: Problems Installing on Toshiba 2100CDT

I had a similar problem with a Satellite 2100CDS - any Linux distro based on Kernel 2.4 or 2.6 would freeze whenever a PCMCIA card was detected (2.2-based distros were unaffected).

In the end, I found a fix by trial and error. I thought it might be a memory assignment issue, so I played around with the I/O port settings on the setup screen. By default, the internal modem is assigned to COM2. Changing it to COM3 seems to solve the problem (as does disabling the modem entirely).

I'm not sure if your problem is related to mine, but it might be worth trying the same fix.

Quote (rwinchester @ Oct. 27 2006,17:53)

Thanks for the idea! I'm pretty new to linux, can you tell me where to look to find that setting?

I think he might be referring to the bios/cmos setup screen. (usually press del or F2 on startup)

Sorry for being vague, looking back at my post it's not all that clear.

Yes, I was referring to the BIOS/CMOS setup screen. On a 2100cds, you get to it by holding the escape key on startup, as soon as you see the "In Touch With Tomorrow - Toshiba" screen), then pressing F1 when prompted. To get to the I/O port settings, you go to the second page (by pressing Pg Dn). I'm not sure if it's the same on a 2100cdt.

I don't have a full understanding of these port settings, but I believe they relate to how memory is allocated to various devices (I think, with the default settings, there must have been a conflict, with one block of memory being asked to perform two roles at once. Maybe someone with more knowledge on the subject can confirm or correct that).

original here.